From High Chairs to Booster Seats

The time has come...the boys started refusing to sit in their high chairs at meal times and insisting to sit in "mommy and daddy's chairs." So, last week the boys and I took a quick trip to Buy Buy Baby and bought two booster seats. Here they are trying out their new "big boy chairs" for the first time...

My big boys sitting in their "big boy chairs" and eating french toast before preschool...

And, here they were almost two years ago, at just 5 months old, trying out their high chairs for the first time...they're growing way too fast! :(

And, as you can see, Bryce is getting way too comfortable at the dining table now...

First Day of Preschool

Last week, the boys attended their first day of preschool! Well, actually, they attended their first and second days since school started on Wednesday and they're registered to go on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Of course, we had to take some pictures to commemorate this huge milestone!

Here they are Wednesday morning all ready to go with their new backpacks...

Individual pics of our school boys... (Ben is on the left and Bryce on the right)

Bryce was being extra silly that morning! I think he was excited about going to school. :)

Another picture of our big boys with their big backpacks, and another one of a very happy Bryce...

We had originally planned to put the boys in these Converse high-tops so that the teachers would be able to tell them apart. Bryce was going to wear the black ones and Ben the gray. But, the boys were not in the mood for them that morning so they ended up wearing their matching Sketchers tennis shoes. Since then, we've replaced the high-tops with these Pumas since velcro would be so much easier to put on their wriggling feet! Bryce chose the red ones and Ben the green.

The night before their first day of school, their momma put together her first of many school lunches! :)

This is their daily school schedule... very busy!

That afternoon, the boys' anxious momma was first in the carpool line! (This school has a drop-off and pick-up policy that has all parents line up in a carpool line and stay in their cars while the teachers take the kids out of their carseats in the mornings and put them back in their seats in the afternoons, excluding the first week in which they allowed us to walk our kiddos to class only in the mornings.) Here is a picture that I took from the car as I watched my big boys being walked to the car by Mrs. Kenton and an assistant. I was so excited to see them!

When we got home, the boys got their first day of school present...

Checking out the groceries that came with their new shopping carts...

The shopping carts quickly became bumper carts...

That morning, the teacher stuck a name tag on each student's back to help the teachers learn everyone's names. The boys still had theirs on long after we got home...

After I changed their clothes, Bryce found his name tag and stuck it back on his back! Made me laugh. :)

Their first classwork hanging proudly in our kitchen!

Here is a summary of how the boys did on their first two days of preschool...

Day 1: Evan and I walked them to their class and as soon as they entered the room, they ran off to play with the kitchen set that they had loved on Meet the Teacher day. So, Evan and I dropped their backpacks and snuck out. I called the school that morning to see how the boys did after we left, and I found out they did just fine after discovering we were gone. However, they did end up crying on and off throughout the day, mainly when they moved from one room to another. They said this is pretty normal, and I'm guessing it's because they were expecting to see me and Evan in each new room they entered. They also did not eat any of their snack or lunch, but they both slept for 30 minutes on their nap mats! I couldn't believe they slept on their nap mats on the first day!! On the way home, I asked the boys what they did today, and their response was, "We went to school and night night." I then asked them if they wanted to go to school again, and they replied, "Yes!" :)

Day 2: This time, I drove the boys to school by myself. On the way there, Ben asked me what I was doing, and I told them, "I'm driving Ben and Bryce to school." Then they asked me if I was coming with them, and I told them, "No, mommy is too big for school." Ben got a little sad, and said, "Mommy go." So then, Bryce said to Ben, "No, mommy too big!" :) When we got to the school, I discovered that trying to carry two backpacks while holding two toddlers' hands is definitely not easy! This time, when we entered the classroom, one of the boys ran off to play while the other held on to my hand. (I can't remember who did what though.) I urged the one holding on to my hand to go ahead and play, and after only about five seconds, he did. So, once again, I snuck out of the room. At pick-up, Mrs. Kenton told me that the boys cried for about 20 minutes after discovering that I had left. But, after that, they were fine the rest of the day. They didn't move to different rooms that day, so that might have helped. They also ate a little bit of their lunch this time. I was also told that they had no interest in doing the art project that day, but they enjoyed music time and playing with cars. No surprise there!

Tomorrow comes Day 3! I'm really scared about drop-off because, this time, I will not be able to get out of the car and walk them to class. I'm pretty sure the boys will not react well to the teachers taking them out of their carseats and carrying them out of the car away from me. I avoided crying on the first two days because I didn't have to hear them cry, but tomorrow might be a different story!

Meet the Teacher Day

On Friday, September 2, Evan and I went to our very first Meet the Teacher day for the boys' preschool! I was so happy that Evan was able to go with us. Here are some pictures from that day...

Before we left, we gave the boys their Meet the Teacher day present... Disney Cars bean bag chairs! :)

As soon as we entered their new classroom, the boys ran across the room to play at this kitchen play set... (and, that's their teacher, Mrs. Kenton, playing with them.)

Bryce trying out his seat at the classroom table...

And, at the other table, Ben also tried out his seat... I was a little nervous when I saw that they wouldn't be sitting next to each other!

The boys' lockers... notice Benjamin shares a locker with his pal Winston who will attend the same class but, unfortunately, on different days!

The boys' names on the classroom door...

The boys' names on the classroom wall...

Daddy checking out the classroom...

Before we left, we attempted to take a picture of the boys with Mrs. Kenton and her assistant, Mrs. Davis... this was the best we could get. :)